Forest Scene

1. Christmas Eve

This is my second fic (the first one will be posted here after I finish this one). I hope you enjoy it!
A very kind reviewer has told me the chapter appears as one big long page without line breaks. It shows properly divided in paragraphs in my computer though: does anyone else have this problem? What can I do to correct this? I'm new to Portkey (not as a reader, though), so any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

Forest Scene

Like she had done the previous five years, Professor McGonagall was asking the Gryffindors wether they were staying at Hogwarts for Christmas or not. Unlike ever before, though, Harry was not going to sign up this time. Mrs. Weasley had long ago owled Ron ordering him to invite Harry to spend the holidays over at the Burrow. However, when Professor McGonagall stopped by him, and he explained this to her, she pursed her lips tighter than usual, something Harry recognized as a sure sign of disaster ahead.

"I'm afraid you'll have to ask permission from the Headmaster to leave school grounds, Potter. You must remember that your security is still an issue."

So in the afternoon of the final day before winter break started, Harry found himself entering Professor Dumbledore's office, to which he now knew the entry password, as the old Headmaster would always inform him when it changed. He was a little worried but hopeful: surely Dumbledore would understand how important it was for him to spend these days with the few people that he was close to. However, Dumbledore flat-out refused to let him go.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but you know there are only so few places where you can be safe, and the Burrow isn't one of them - no isolated place, either from the muggle or the wizarding world, will do. Only Hogwarts, the Order's headquarters and your aunt and uncle's home are safe for you. Maybe if there was a guard protecting you, but most members of the Order are busy now guarding key places, and I can't ask the rest of them to sacrifice their Christmas plans for you, Harry. Maybe if you asked me to go to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, where at least there are plenty of our kind around to keep things under control... I'm sorry, Harry."

So it was with a heavy heart that Harry had told Ron that he wouldn't be able to go after all. With Hermione going back home to spend the holidays with her parents and also help Hagrid deal with some issues with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures in London, this would be the first Christmas, since he had entered Hogwarts, he'd spend away from his friends.

In the end, Harry had had to say goodbye to Ron and Hermione when they took the Knight Bus home from Hogsmeade, and made his way back to the castle, wishing winter break was already over rather than just beginning. Sure, there was the feast and the gifts, but without the two people closet to him, he wasn't looking forward to that.

...

The following days were rather dull for Harry, as his best friends had gone and he wasn't feeling much like dealing with anyone else. Though it had been half a year already, the death of Sirius kept weighing him down. And it was impossible for him not to remember that it was now a whole year since he'd seen his godfather happy for the last time, as they all cellebrated Mr. Weasley's recovery at the Order's Headquarters.

There were plenty of people around though, and Harry tried to at least keep himself busy. He even held a DA meeting in the Room of Requirement, on the afternoon before Christmas eve. With only a quarter of its members present, it was still more crowded than it had been the previous year; a lot of people had joined them now that it was no longer a secret society. Once word had gone out that six DA members had fought mano-a-mano with a dozen Death Eaters, and with Voldemort's return being official, almost everybody not in Slytherin (and even some of them) had wanted in. The meetings for such a large crowd had been hell to schedule, but so far they had managed by splitting the DA in different age groups, with Harry supervising them all - something that took most of his free time.

They had an exhausting duel practice and, when everybody was too tired to continue and had started leaving, Harry saw Cho walk out on her own (her friend Marietta had never come back to the DA, something everybody else was glad of). He couldn't help but think of this same time a year ago, when they had kissed for the first time, but the memory didn't make him feel annoyed or even sad. He had ceased caring about this a long time ago, in the wake of Sirius' death, and during all these months he had treated her just like everybody else. She was still a little stiff when addressing him, but other than that there were no signs they had ever been more than just schoolmates.

In the end, everyone had left except for Harry and Luna, who had taken to staying behind and helping him, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville to clean up after the practices. Since they rest had all gone home for the holidays, it was just the two of them now. Harry hadn't asked, but he was sure that Luna's father had gone out of the country in search for the Crumpled-Horned-Spectacled-whatever monster he was after now. They took their time putting everything in place. It was possible not to do so - after all, the Room of Requirement could take care of things by itself - but the list of things the DA needed for practice had grown so long and complex that they had realized it was better this way. The Room could 'remember' the way it had been during their last session, and they only had to keep asking for new stuff without having to worry about missing something.

In this particular meeting, they had requested some christmassy decoration and now they had to remove it. Harry found himself standing on a long-legged stool, trying to extricate the mistletoe that had been hung on the hanging lamps on the middle of the room, thinking about how pointless that was - no one ever kissed in this room anymore. Most of last year's blooming couples had vanished, or so it seemed. At least, Cho had dumped Michael Cormer, and Dean Thomas and Ginny had also broken up, not even a week ago. He was distracted from his ramblings when he realized Luna was standing next to him, her arms full of magically glowing baubles and ribbons.

"I'm done," she said while looking at him with her big, dreamy eyes. "Oooh... mistletoe... just like last year, remember, Harry?"

He did remember. "You think it's infested with Nargles?" he asked, in what he hoped sounded like an off-hand voice. To his surprise, though, Luna started giggling. "What's so funny?" he asked, frowning a little.

"Oh, Harry," she said while throwing the decorations in a big box, where they promptly vanished, and sitting in one of the many cushions of the room. "There are no such things as Nargles."

Finally disengaging the mistletoe from the lamp, Harry jumped down onto the floor and threw it on the box, which he then made dissappear with a wave of his wand. "What do you mean - why do you say that then, last year?"

Still giggling, she replied: "Isn't it obvious, Harry? Oh... I guess not. Well, I hope you don't get offended by this, but I just didn't want you to kiss me that time."

He had not seen this coming. He stared at her, sitting on the cushion with her legs crossed and wearing that ever-lengthening butterbeer corks necklace. "And what do you mean by that?," he asked, raising his voice a bit.

She smiled and pushed a second cushion his way. Glaring at her, he sat down on it.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Harry, it's just you're not my type. Oh, don't put that face - you never liked me that way either so there's no harm done," she said with a lingering smile.

"Er - right, I guess," said Harry, blushing a little. He'd never expected every girl in Hogwarts to like him, including Luna, but this had caught him unexpectedly. Being told that you are not their type by someone who usually has radishes hanging from her earlobes... Harry stopped himself there; that wasn't fair to her. He'd realized, back last year, that there was much more in Luna Lovegood than what your eyes could see.

"So what exactly is your type?," he asked, having calmed down somewhat.

She looked at him with that dreamy expression he had gotten so used to. "That, Harry, is not for you to know, not now anyways." And again, she started giggling madly. Which, Harry thought, was kind of out of nowhere and did nothing to help her image. But just as suddenly as she had started, she stopped and stared at him seriously, her eyes looking even bigger than usually. "She's not your type, though," she said.

Again, Harry found himself unprepared for this. "Who?" he asked cluelessly.

"I noticed you staring at Cho just a while earlier, Harry," she replied. "And again, don't get offended by this, but you aren't her type either," she added as she started playing with her bizarre-looking earings.

"B - but - you don't know - " stammered Harry. He stared at her, his mouth open, until he managed to arrange his thoughts somewhat. "I don't even like her anymore. I mean, I don't hate her or anything but... you know. I don't think I even care about her, or anyone, like that," he finished simply.

"Oh, but I think you do, Harry. You just don't know it yet," she said off-handedly.

For the third time in mere minutes, Harry was feeling at the same time at a loss for words and with an urge to say something. This is the problem with Luna, he thought, you never know what's going on in that mind of hers, and then she drops these bombs on you...

"What are you talking about, Luna? I don't - who do you think I like?" This time, his voice wasn't so calm.

She considered him for a moment. "That's not for me to tell you, then. You'll find out eventually, Harry, because you already know. You are just in denial, but you can't keep yourself from the truth, you know?"

With that she stood up and left Harry sitting alone, trying to work out what she'd meant. Finally, he gave up, thinking that what Luna said didn't always make sense. He left the room too, only to find himself facing a panting Professor McGonagall, muttering something about there being too many stairs at Hogwarts.

"Here you are, Potter. You are to come with me to the Gryffindor tower to pick up some things, and then we'll be going to the Headmaster's office."

And so they did. Soon they had picked up a confused Harry's dress robes and were walking towards the Dumbledore's office and entering the room Harry knew only too well by now. But it wasn't the old wizard the one who greeted them there.

"Hello, Harry!" said Lupin, smiling as he shook his hand. Lupin's clothes looked in a better state than ever before, not so shabby anymore. In the months following Umbridge's fall from grace, some of the legislation she had inspired had been changed, and Lupin had finally been able to get a job giving Ministry-sponsored Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts classes to adult wizards, as part of the efforts the Ministry of Magic was making to protect witches and wizards everywhere from Lord Voldemort.

"Hi, Remus." Lupin had insisted on being called by his first name now that he was no longer their teacher. "What are you doing here?" asked Harry, puzzled.

"Well, word got to me that you weren't happy spending Chrismas here, so I made some arrangements. We're going to a little party with some people you know."

"A party? Where?" said Harry, who was still surprised but nonetheless excited now that he knew he was in for something... well, for something better than he would have had at Hogwarts.

"At the Leaky Cauldron, we rented a party room there. But I think we should hurry, you still need to get ready."

"Why - what's with the formal dress? Who's going to be there?" asked Harry, now a little nervous.

"Oh - that - nobody, Harry, we just thought it'd be fun. Well, actually, Tonks did." Lowering his voice so that Professor McGonagall wouldn't hear, he added "Women, you know, they like this sort of stuff..."

Professor McGonagall seemed to have heard him though, and she let out a quiet "hem, hem" fake cough that started Harry and then almost made him laugh. Smiling again, Luping walked to Dumbledore's fireplace and lighted the magical floo-powder fire.

"Well then, Remus, we'll see you at the meeting next friday. Enjoy yourself! You too, Harry," said Professor McGonagall, who would of course stay at Hogwarts with the other students.

Harry politely said goodbye to her and then Lupin and him walked in the greenish fire ("The Leaky Cauldron!"), and they were gone.

...

A nausea-inducing trip later, they had arrived at the bar, which was almost deserted as most people were staying at their own places that night. Tom, the owner, was there though, and he lead them to a room upstairs.

"You go take a shower and get changed, Harry. I'll help finish setting up the place and the other guests should be showing up soon. See you in a bit!"

When Lupin had left, Harry undressed and got into the bathroom. He had been aware of needing a shower since the rather active DA meeting had ended, and for a moment he wondered if Lupin, even as a human, still had a wolf's sense of smell, but he just shrugged and got under the hot, steamy stream of water.

As he washed, he felt himself becoming more relaxed - he hadn't noticed how tense he'd been. Leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes and left his thoughts wander away as he had done so many times since last June. He thought of Sirius, falling through the veil, Sirius singing happily a year ago now, his parents and Sirius in that wedding picture of them... he thought of Cedric, also dying in front of him, his parents, Cho crying over him...

The image of Cho carried his mind in another direction. He remembered talking to Luna not an hour ago... What was it that she had said? That he cared about someone but he hadn't realized it yet? That was stupid, Luna was crazy... but, somehow, Harry couldn't believe Luna crazy. Even if a lot of people thought so, he felt she was alright... she just looked at the world in a different view.

But why did she think he liked someone? He didn't... there was no one that had ever elicited in him the kind of feelings he supposed were the signs of love, except maybe Cho, and that seemed ages ago, in another world, in another life...

Realizing he'd already been too long in there, Harry sighed and left the bathroom, and just a while later he'd found his way to the party room, dressed in his green formal robes and with his hair as neat as he had managed to get it. A long table was set and a few people sitting there already. Lupin, who had changed into somewhat more stylish robes, was talking to Mad-Eye Moody, and Mrs. Figg was there too. She got up and greeted Harry with a timid handshake, while Moody just nodded at him and continued his conversation with Lupin.

"Who are we waiting for, Mrs. Figg?" asked Harry, looking at the dozen or so empty chairs. But before she could answer him, they heard the noise of many feet coming through the hallway, and the door opened as a sea of red heads entered the room, all of them smiling at Harry.

"Hey, mate!" said Ron, approaching to shake Harry's hand only to be nearly thrown off his feet when his mother rushed past him to engulf Harry in a tight hug that left him breathless.

"Oh, Harry, dear, I'm so glad to see you!" She held him at arm's length and checked him out. "I guess I really haven't seen you in a long time, you must have grown two inches! I'll have to get you new robes at Madam Malkin's..." said Mrs. Weasley, but she, too, was pushed away as her sons made their way towards Harry. Fred and George whispered in his ear that they'd be sending samples of their new Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes' inventions soon. Bill and Percy were there too; Percy had rejoined his family once the Minister of Magic himself had admitted they'd been wrong all along. Finally, they all took their places at the table and Harry found himself sitting between Ron and Lupin.

"I hope you enjoy this, mate. Mum flipped out when she found out you weren't allowed at the Burrow anymore and she arranged all of this, with Dumbledore's help."

"It's great, really," said Harry, and he meant it. About all the people he liked best were there and they had done all of this just for him. "Say, where's your dad?" He didn't ask about Charlie because he already knew the older Weasley brother was still working on Romania.

"Oh, he's busy tonight. Order's business, you know the drill." Ron frowned. "You know, I wish they'd let us in on what's going on. I think we've kind of earned that."

Harry agreed with Ron; this was exactly why Sirius had died, yet the adults kept tiptoeing around them. Dumbledore had entrusted Harry with some things that neither Ron nor Hermione were supposed to know, but he knew there was much more they weren't told. But he'd rather not dwell into those painful, aggravating memories tonight, so he changed the subject quickly.

"What about Hermione?" he said. After seeing the Weasleys walk into the room, he'd been a little surprised not to see her there too.

Ron opened his mouth to reply but was cut short by none other than Percy, sitting opposite them. "Oh, she says she's sorry she can't make it here," he said. "She was at the Ministry this morning, we talked for a bit before she and Hagrid had to go to their meeting with Amos Diggory."

Harry didn't have to ask what was that about. Hermione had been helping Hagrid with Buckbeat's case. Now that Lucius Malfoy and Macnair, the two key figures in the Hippogriff's trial, had been exposed as Death Eaters, they felt they had a chance of overturning the sentence. That way Buckbeat would be able to leave Grimmauld Place, where he'd been hidding in a room for over a year and a half now, and go back to his herd in the Forest at Hogwarts. Amos Diggory, Cedric's father, worked at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and Harry thought that he was sure to do what he could to help them, seeing as how Malfoy had been there the night his son had been murdered by Voldemort.

Scowling at Percy for interrupting him, Ron turned to Harry. "Yeah, well, you know they're having meetings with people from the Ministry every day during the holidays, even tomorrow." Hermione had insisted on accompanying Hagrid to speak with the people in charge, afraid he would mess things up if left by his own means. Winter break was their best opportunity to do this, since it required a lot of meetings and she refused to skip that many classes. "So tonight was her only chance to be with her parents. Bah, it's her lose," added Ron.

...

To be concluded soon! On the next chapter: Where is Ginny? Lord Voldemort strikes, and some major characters get caught in the middle of it. Fireworks and strange cellebrations. House elves and something scarier than He-who-must-not-be-named. And of course, the Forest Scene. Stay tuned!

Text from the Wayback Machine's capture of the site, 8 September 2015.

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